It’s home sweet home at last as Boys taste victory
DROGHEDA BOYS ENNISKERRY 5 0
AFTER six consecutive away games, Drogheda Boys Under-16s made a winning return to Marley’s Lane as they produced a five-star show against Enniskerry in the Dublin & District Major division on Sunday.
The threat of Storm Atiyah did nothing to derail the determination of the Boys from the outset. Aldas Kazberaitis and Finn Clancy were winning the early exchanges in midfield and getting Ignas Silickas and Daniel Gallagher into threatening positions, only for some stout defending from Enniskerry to keep them out.
Cebhan Houskideri, playing at centre-forward, was tormenting the centre-backs and his good work was to release Silickas out on the left who raced into the penalty area, only for a last-ditch tackle from a defender to bring him down and get the ball away.
Nevertheless, the early pressure was to tell on 15 minutes when Daniel Gallagher ghosted in from the right wing and played a great ball across the face of the goal and Silickas was on hand to slot home from inside the six-yard box.
Hayden Quinn was in dominant form, which was nullifying the threat of the Enniskerry midfield, and on 23 minutes Drogheda attacked from the right and got a shot off which cannoned off the far post, with Silickas in the right place to put the rebound in for 2-0.
Enniskerry were raiding down the outside, but Matthew Mallon Brogan and Liam Gaffney defended stoutly, drove out of defence and continued to work the overlap with Danny Gallagher and Iggy in front of them.
The second half saw the Boys playing into the Marley’s Lane gale. However, composed football from Alex Shanley, ably assisted by Danny Akinsooto and Liam Gaffney, saw the Boys playing football to feet to counteract the high winds.
Enniskerry hadn’t quite given up and on 50 minutes they cut in from the left and fired off a fine shot, only for Tom Cima in the Boys goal to dive across and pull off an excellent save.
This provided momentum to the Boys and on 67 minutes David Kane in the middle threaded a superb ball through and Silickas gave the Enniskerry keeper no chance as he completed his hat-trick.
The Boys were oblivious to the atrocious conditions and continued to attack and on 70 minutes Quinn was to get his name on the scoresheet when Silickas attacked down the right, rounded the full-back and squared the perfect ball in for Quinn to slot in from six yards out - 4-0.
There was still time for one more goal as David Kane fired a shot from just outside the area that nestled in the box to put the seal on the Boys’ first league win this season.
DROGHEDA BOYS: Tom Cima, Alex Shanley, Conor Ayres, Hayden Quinn, David Kane, Cebhan Houshideri, Daniel Gallagher, Ignas Silickas, Finn Clancy, Aldas Kazberaitis, Matthew Mallon Brogan, Liam Gaffney, Conor Clifford, Duiguid McDonagh, Daniel Akinsooto, James Byrne.